Talk Elections

im going with oregon as my preseason number one until someone can convince me otherwise...

Pitt wins the Big Worst......Holgerson shows he's not all he's cracked up to be at WVU.

FIU has a winning season.

syracuse will win the big east.

lulz.

I agree with Oregon as the favorite

As for the ACC, my conference I really don't know who to pick.

Oregon's the best bet, although of course you can't count out Stanford. Whoever wins the Pac-12 will get a spot in the National Championship game.

...where they will lose to the sec champ.  :)

here is what im thinking with the preseason top 5:

1. oregon
2. stanford
3. oklahoma
4. boise state  (has an early test @ georgia)
5. nebraska

1. LSU 
2. Oregon
3. Okies

My Top 5:
1. Oklahoma
2. Oregon
3. Alabama
4. Florida State
5. LSU

My thinking is if Boise State goes undefeated this year, I think they can make the National Championship, finally. Hoping Kansas and Indiana both get bowl bids, but that's really dreaming.

I have little interest in sports, but being a graduate of Georgia Tech I always want UGA to lose and that's all I really care about.

I don't think they have a chance of sniffing any prize, Dib, so you're safe.

you know oregon and lsu open up the season against each other!

I did not know that........if the game is in Death Valley, I'm going with LSU.  Edit - It's in Jerry Jones' playland......still advantage LSU.

You underestimate the degree to which Georgia Tech's fine hatred indoctrination system makes one hate UGA - I want them to lose every single game they ever play in every sport ever. This hatred is drilled into you during freshman year and reinforced every year afterwards.

Is Boise State playing real teams this year or just schools like the Mount Vernon Community College of Wyoming?

Horray Mitty...Screw you Gramps!

Who am I kidding...we'll probably make another bowl but not anywhere close to the top of the conference...if TCU wasn't incoming I'd say we were a year or two away...now we're that from second place.

And lol to Pitt.  Biggest cocktease in this conference.

You're a Syracuse man, bm?  That explains it.

I'm confident about Oklahoma's chances, although I get worried everytime anyone puts us #1 in preseason.  We have the team to go all the way, on paper.  However, the game of football is not played on paper.  Oklahoma just needs to stay together, keep the chemistry alive amongst the men, and avoid a letdown which has come at least once each season for the past several.  I definitely think OU will win the Big 12(10), and I am going to make a prediction that they play (and beat) Alabama for the national title.  That may be pure wishing, but I think it definitely could happen.  Oklahoma has a shot especially with probable Heisman-candidate Landry Jones at the helm who should be a first round draft pick in 2012.  Plus, we have a few returning veterans who chose their senior year over going pro including WR Ryan Broyles.

As for other teams.  I don't look for the SEC to be as strong this year, or at least I hope they are weaker.  Their domination of the college football landscape needs to come to an end.  I think with Oregon and LSU battling first in Jerry's World in 4 weeks, which is advantage Tigers, I think that gives Stanford a chance to take an early lead in the conference.  Ohio State will be a non-factor this year after all the turmoil they have gone through this offseason.  Nebraska will make a big impact in their first season in the Big 10(12), but I think it is Wisconsin's year.  Auburn will not repeat as National Champions and probably will finish no higher than second, maybe third, in their division.  I haven't heard much out of Gainesville, but I think the Gators have to be the favorites again in the SEC East.  The 'Noles will establish their ACC dominance this year and be a near-lock to make it to the ACC Championship Game and the Orange Bowl.  The Big East is wide open, with Pittsburgh or West Virginia the early favorites, even though no Big East team is ranked in the top 25 coaches preseason.

LSU would be #1 if Jordan Jefferson weren't so laughable at QB (and Les Miles so laughable at HC, but that's another story).

In other news, I'm more excited about college football starting than I can ever remember.  MSU is ranked preseason for the first time in a decade, and we have a legitimate shot at making the SEC Championship Game.  Can't wait.

645 yards tonight, a school record.  Really pumped up about this season.

Woo.  Suck it Wake. 

Snicker.

The upsets of the season are already starting to show up even before the first Saturday of the 2011-2012 College Football Regular Season.  Last night, the Baylor Bears won a defense-less matchup against the 14th ranked Texas Christian Horned Frogs 50-48.  I didn't watch the game, nor did I record it, because I thought it would be a blowout the other way.  However, now that TCU is starting the season with an 0-1 record to Baylor of all schools, that gives me reason to believe that absolutely no team is safe in the rankings this year.  From the top ranked Oklahoma Sooners on down, nobody is safe.  My Sooners have a tough early test this evening at 7:00 pm CT against Turner Turnpike rival Tulsa Golden Hurricane.  Tulsa is one of the better teams in Conference USA and will provide a tough early test for the Sooners.  I think OU will be able to take care of business tonight in Norman, and then we get a week off before heading to Tallahassee.  Oklahoma really only has one cupcake in the non-conference schedule and that is against the Ball State Cardinals.

Iowa is blowing Tennessee Tech away 27-0 at halftime, including a 88 yard pass from Vandenburg to McNutt, and a 89 yard interception return for a TD. GO HAWKEYES

Normally, I'm all about the SEC, but PLEASE hold on Utah State...

Sic semper cheaters.

Kansas plays McNeese State at 7, and I can honestly say I don't feel completely comfortable we'll win this game.

Preparing for a long year...

Rutgers defeated North Carolina Central last Thursday (48-0)

Go Scarlet Knights!

()

Holy Toledo (They crushed New Hampshire, btw)! Kansas didn't get embarassed this year in the first game! :) 42-24 over McNeese State.

As usual, Boise State looks like it should be in the national championship game.  LSU looks good, especially without starters, but will likely blow a game this year in idiotic fashion.  Alabama and Oklahoma need to play some real opponents before I can judge them.

I'll see if I can watch some other highlights out of the Top 5 later.

lulz@NotreDame

Tulsa is a real opponenet.  They are one of the better teams in Conference USA.  They've made it to bowl games quite a bit lately.  Oklahoma just clobbered them and manhandled them.  Tulsa is a more quality opponent than Kent State, I will grant you.  The only cupcake Oklahoma has on the schedule is Ball State in three weeks.  We have a week off before traveling to Tallahassee on September 17.

Nothing better then waking up on a fall sunday after a Notre Dame defeat.

(I know. It's still technically summer. But I think fall starts when football starts. :) )

Wasn't happy another Big East team got the W...but yeah.  Why does anyone still follow those chumps?

Notre Dame fans are living in past glory, bm, and thankfully for their team, their booster's checkbooks are living in another time.

Yeah...just another year. Same results.

Every Notre Dame home game is more widely broadcast than the national championship game. It's ridiculous.

So I'm assuming Oklahoma and Alabama will remain ranked above LSU and Boise State despite the latter two beating actual teams away from home and the former two beating Tulsa and Kent State in their own stadiums?

I'm licking my chops at Saturday.  Not only are we favored at the defending national champs, most pundits seem to think we'll win comfortably.

Eh, you're bound to screw up at some point this season. :P

Kansas has an opportunity to go 2-0 this weekend vs. Northern Illinois. Ironically enough, we're a 7 point underdog. :P

I am right now trying to stop myself from buying a gun, going to Ames, Iowa, and brutally massacre anyone who is wearing an Iowa State shirt.

I know the feeling exactly.

Auburn scored shortly after converting this fourth down:

()

$EC! $EC!  Oh...wait...

Tulsa is a very good opponent.  They are one of the better teams in Conference USA, which is no push-over conference.  Kent State? Yeah, they're a cupcake.

I'm looking forward to the Notre Dame vs. Michigan game tonight on ESPN.  The first night game at the Big House, which i find quite amazing.

Hope the Minnesota coach is okay.

Apparently, he just suffered a seizure, and they expect him to be just fine and probably be back on the sideline next week.

Wake Forest won a game today!!! And they tried their hardest to lose it like they did last week!

Minnesota vs. Notre Dame! If only I could get off my ass and watch it...

Actually, it's Notre Dame vs. Michigan in Ann Arbor, airing right now on ESPN.

Sorry, yeah, Michigan. I saw the word Minnesota & accidentally typed it.

Haha, they are easily confused. :)

THANK YOU MICHIGAN!!!  :D

Dammit! I was watching a movie & forgot about the game! How'd we do? I'll probably try to watch parts of it on YouTube tomorrow. The things in life you regret... :P

What a game. The best part about it-Notre Dame loses!

Today was a great day. Against all odds, Kansas won in spectacular fashion over Northern Illinois. Northern Illinois was expected to be another mid-major upstart this season, but their dreams were shot in Week 2. :)

We have a great group of young players - Not quite sure on Gill's coaching skills, but he brought in one of the best Freshman classes in KU history.

On to Georgia Tech! Let's beat them for a second straight year.

Muhaha! Muhaha! Mwahahahahahaha!!!!

Hey Notre Dame, you suck.  Your gross negligence led to Declan Sullivan's easily preventable death, and although no one really cared about it at the time, your passing the buck disgraced the good name of my Church.  And you haven't been good at football in decades.

Hey Michigan, you suck.  52-14.

Is this where we celebrate winning over cupcake schools? Because Stanford beat Duke.

The University of Oklahoma became the first school to top the AP poll 100 times today.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/story/2011-09-17/acc-approves-syracuse-pittsburgh-big-east/50448806/1

Another shoe has dropped.

Thank you, Clemson.  Ding Dong the witch is dead.

Word is that Pitt (who knows about my Cuse) applied to the BIG but was denied.  Does the BIG have silent commitments...or is waiting for the Big East to finish imploding before saying to ND...writing is on the wall.  Big East implosion seems inevitable to some degree with the private catholic bball schools and FBS schools.

Great bball pick ups for the ACC...as football schools they're not bad either...both are still behind where they've been historically, but nothing shabby.

To sum up...Pitt and Cuse to the ACC...something may be lurking with the Big Ten...what will the other big east football schools do (Namely RU, UConn, WVU)...WVU to SEC to balance out an A&M?...will ND be forced to cast a lot in with somebody...Poor TCU.

I think I might go and watch Oklahoma State and Tulsa now.

It really sucks for the SEC if we can't get any ACC teams in our expansion to 16.  Texas A&M and Missouri get us to 14, but I guess we're going to have to hold our noses and take ... Cincinnati and West Virginia?

Virginia Tech, NC State, Florida State, etc. = a bunch of wusses.

The recently increased ACC buyout figure of 20M...(compared to the BE's 5)...probably means the ACC wont be dropping teams...not for some time at least.

You could grab WVU and Mizzou....if you dont get A&M...or reunite some SWC teams with ARK

Yeah, TCU or even a Kansas school wouldn't be awful.  But that handshake agreement not to add teams from states that already have a team is going to hurt us in the long run.  Florida State and Clemson are natural fits.

()

Would this be the end of the world?  Everyone compromises a little, nobody steals from a still-existing conference, and no power in football or basketball is left out.

The Mountain West would be very improved in this scenario, but I'd still like to see Kansas in the Big 10 or SEC. Granted, we have a terrible football team, but hey, you need a couple schools to beat up on each year. ;) Plus, imagine having a conference with Kentucky, Florida, and Kansas in it for college basketball?

One thing, tbh - I think Kansas would honestly be better for the Big 10 than Connecticut would be.

Yeah, the problem with Kansas, from what I've read, though, is that state politics will prevent Kansas from leaving Kansas State behind, so they'll have to find a conference that will take both.

Incorrect. ;) I thought it must be some sort of requirement, but in reality, the two schools are just wanting to work together for now. Created a lot of stress last summer with all the conference switching.

Luckily, Gray-Little (our chancellor) has now said that if a conference shakeup does occur, Kansas will only act in our best interests. So I'm sure, if the Big 12 is dead, Kansas will be doing it's part to make sure we're in a major conference. Luckily for us, we make a much better case than K-State does. :)

Villanova really really needs a decent sized football stadium.  Temple plays at the Linc...and I'm not sure Penn's Franklin Field would be a good fit even if Nova could coordinate scheduling.

Has Pitt always shared a field with the Steelers?  I'm not a big fan of a college team sharing gameday field with a pro team.


And my cuse really needs to upgrade out of the dome...yeah maybe keep it for Bball/Lacrosse etc...but its sort of subpar for FBS.

Don't forget that conferences like Pac-10, B1G and even the ACC (no offense to the SEC/Big East etc) tend to want highly ranked educational institutions...yeah Nebraska isn't AAU anymore, but they were during the admittance process.  Not sure how that'd affect some of the newer Big East (former CUSA) teams.

No.....they used to play in Pitt Stadium in the Oakland section where there campus was.  It was a sh**thole and was torn down......but Pitt developed an alliance with the Steelers and they also have their practices in adjoining facilities with the Steelers.

Pitt uses this alliance heavily as a recruitment tool.

Is Georgia Tech not allowed to join the SEC?

Probably no love for a former member.

Their fanbase and stadium would the smallest (other than Vandy), and they bring no new market to the table.  UGA is more popular in Atlanta anyway.  It would be like the Pac-12 adding San Diego State.

So lets see...Texas and its junior partner OU are talking to the Pac 1X...where they go, TTU and OSU will follow.

I'd guess at that point the SEC tries to grab 13 and 14....TAMU...and then perhaps...Mizzou/WVU/VT...WVU would be the easiest to get but the smallest addition...I still think Mizzou hopes it can get into the B1G...and the Ten would probably want ND first.  ND's influence is on the decline (yeah still popular with the scores of Twats who have never attended but have seen Rudy etc but as a college football team...decline)...the Big Ten would be a good place to latch onto...fits the profiles of the other institutions.

VT would have to pay 20M to leave the ACC and isn't from a state where another SEC school would try to veto (see FSU/UF, UL/UK, GT/UGA CU/USC)...They could make up that amount pretty fast from SEC sharing, but I doubt they'd want a harder path to a championship or to switch conferences that soon.  I doubt the SEC would want anyone else...(UNC/Duke sure...but that ain't happening).

The other big programs still floating around are Maryland, Kansas and KSU...Maryland faces a big payout to leave the ACC...but the B1G might be interested.  Kansas *could* sneak into the big ten...it has the right sort of AAU profile etc...but KSU, which really doesnt set anyone's heart ablaze might be a political millstone.

Rutgers and UConn really don't add much more to the ACC as 15 and 16 than what the ACC will have now.  But thye're still likely to be the next additions.  Despite what any Rutgers grad will tell you...Rutgers sucks.  In basketball certainly and has only limited recent success in football.  Rutgers fits the ACC and B1G profile...and probably is a bigger marginal addition in the Big Ten.

I could see this expansion upsetting a lot of people in the ACC. We still have not fully gotten over expanding from 9 to 12. :P

But why?  Pitt and Cuse aren't premier teams right now, and probably wont be for some time, but one usually makes a bowl game...and the other is returning to the success its traditionally had.  Better than a lot of ACC programs, especially the traditional ones.

Because the original 9 teams hate change. UNC/Duke/Wake/State alums vilify Swofford on a regular basis for ruining the conference's basketball prowess.

Pittsburgh isnt a traditional power...but Syracuse is in that next sub tier of elites...(ok, not UK, Duke, UCLA, UNC or Indiana...don't forget Kansas...sorry)...but it helps the conference basketball-wise.

Oklahoma and Texas regents have given their university presidents the permission to apply for membership in a different athletic conference.  Oklahoma President David Boren said that he needs time to make his decision, and he wants to make sure the school is in a stable conference without having to revisit its conference membership every year.  He did say, cordially, that staying in the Big 12 is still on the table, and that he doesn't have a timeline of his decision.  If you read between the lines, it has Pac-12 written all over it.  He also said that Oklahoma will only move if Oklahoma State moves as well, and prefers that Texas and Texas Tech join the Sooners and Cowboys in movement.  He doesn't want to remove the Bedlam rivalry or the Red River Rivalry.  He prefers to leave those intact, even though Bob Stoops has publicly said that if the OU/Texas rivalry is a casualty of conference realignment, then so be it.

Adding Pitt or Syracuse would help, at least in Basketball.

Yes, but nobody cares about basketball.

Despite all the talk about where Texas is going to end, I don't see either the Pac or the SEC as being willing to take Texas if it insists on keeping its toxic TV deal.  I think the most probable outcome if the Big 12 collapses is to have Texas ending up as a football independent with a Notre Dame style tie-in to the BCS.  The alternative to a Big 12 collapse is to have effectively a Big 12 merger with the Mountain West, tho with some schools such as Hawaii and Missouri either choosing or being pushed to go someplace other than the Big 16.  (I don't see enough football schools remaining in the Big East to make a merger with the Big 12 a possibility, and neither the WAC nor C-USA are a good fit with the Texas/Oklahoma schools.)

I don't think the Big East will collapse per se, just lose its football schools, but the schools that haven't been competing in the FBS as part of the Big East will be the only ones that remain, including Notre Dame.  They might go after some other basketball schools to join them.

The two most obvious targets for a Big Ten expansion are Missouri and Rutgers given the Big Ten's insistence on AAU membership. For the same reason UConn has no chance at joining the Big Ten, so it'll have to go to the ACC or decide to return to the FCS level for football. Speaking of the ACC, if they get UConn as their 15th, it's hard to see who they get for their 16th unless they head for a non Atlantic coast state. They want Rutgers, but I think they'll head to the Big Ten instead.  Given the importance of basketball to the ACC, I think they'd prefer Louisville over West Virgina or Cincinnati.  Besides, I think the SEC would prefer both West Virgina and Cincinnati over Louisville.  Assuming the SEC gets both of those, I think its most likely #16 if it can't pry loose an ACC team is Tulsa.  The SEC would prefer something better than Tulsa, but I don't see it as being available unless Texas A&M consents to a second SEC team from Texas such as Houston, SMU, or TCU.

What of the Pacific-14?  (I think like the Big Ten, the Pacific-12 will be content with just 14 unless it can get Texas to give up its toxic TV deal.)  Colorado St., New Mexico, UTEP, SMU, and Houston all look attractive, but it's hard to say.

Yeah, Texas' insistence on the Longhorn network is a real obstacle.  I don't see the Pac 1x or the B1G or even the ACC (which is hinted as an outside player for Texas...and ND too...won't happen) upsetting the apple cart even if accomodating Texas is quite financially rewarding.

The thing with Rutgers is, yes, it has inroads to the NYC market...but really...its just not that great of an athletic program.  Good academics sure (can't emphasize how important academics are for the ACC and Big Ten...and Pac 1x for western schools), but aside for a few years in the early to mid 00s...its a weak football program and a laughable basketball school.  Syracuse already gets the ACC a couple games at the new meadowlands later this decade.

Word is Mizzou is to be the pair for TAMU in the SEC...depending if the Big XII collapses.  According to rumors, WVU has been rejected by the SEC.  (Couch Burning, less reputable academics-even for a conference that doesnt emphasize them as much, and a real lack of a tv market hurt).


Some have even tossed out the idea that Penn State leave the Big Ten for the ACC...which makes some sense.  PSU is an eastern school...JoePa has always wanted an Eastern league...BUT the Big Ten is stable, generates a ton of money...PSU would never leave.

I agree that Rutgers isn't a great choice for the Big Ten, but because of their academic requirements, I don't see a better one for them to pursue as #14 if they add Missouri as #13.  Mybe if they could get Kansas without taking Kansas St., but that seems a stretch.  Rice and Tulane only make sense if the Big 10 decides to expand to 16 teams, which I doubt it will.  Maybe in a decade, Buffalo will have made enough of a resurgence in its athletic programs to be considered by a major conference, but I can't see the Bulls leaving the MAC sooner than that, and even then it is probably wishful thinking.

I think the B1G and even ACC is hoping that Notre Dame realizes it needs to join up. That ND won't get another huge tv deal on it's own anymore. And that the Big East won't be a viable place to quasi associate with for too much longer.

Don't know how this fell to page 8, but..

Any predictions for the big game tonight?

LSU 24
Alabama 20

My gut says Alabama pulls it out, but I wouldn't be remotely surprised either way.  LSU is definitely more battle-tested, at least.

I was wondering where this thread went. I say Alabama 17, LSU 14. Alabama wins because it's in Tuscaloosa.

Does anyone doubt that the new Big East would be absolutely awful and totally undeserving of an automatic BCS bid? The eleven teams would be as follows:

Air Force
Boise State
Central Florida
Cincinnati
Connecticut
Houston
Louisville
Navy
Rutgers
Southern Methodist
South Florida

As recently as 2004, Rutgers was the only one of those schools that was in a BCS conference. They've taken a collection of crap and slapped the Big East name on it.

The Big East is more of a basketball conference, anyway.  Yes, it should be removed from BCS AQ status.

I just don't see the proposed additions to the Big East happening.

With the MW/C-USA football mashup in the works, there is no need for Boise State or Air Force to jump to the Big East to be in an AQ conference, indeed, they likely be jumping from an AQ conference if they did, since even with this proposed Big East, it will lose its AQ status when the next contract is up.

I don't see Navy joining the Big East for football in any circumstances short of Notre Dame and Army both doing so, which isn't going to happen.

With those three disposed of, any hopes the Big East have of getting Houston and SMU to join are toast as well.

UCF might be persuaded, if the Big East keeps USF and gets some teams such as Temple, Buffalo, ECU, and/or Marshall to join.

More likely, the Big East implodes as a football conference.  Louisville and Cincinnati join West Virginia in a twelve member Big Twelve. UConn and Rutgers join the ACC, and USF rejoins C-USA, while UTEP moves from C-USA to the MW to balance the two out.

so who bet the under?

I didn't bet on this and haven't sports gambled for a while but I do still tabs on spreads and the like.  I'm curious as to who else on this site has even laid a bet on sports. Perhaps Spade and Bullmoose...hmm.  I think Hugh also.

LSU wins, 9-6.

Go Huskies!!!

What a crappy game. Sat their from start to finish, and was very unimpressed. Wasn't this supposed to be the game of the century?

Apparently all the commentators are calling it a great game. Meh. Maybe I would have liked it more if 'Bama won.

I bet the Giants tomorrow.  for the first time ever I believe.

I can't bet on Eli and the Giants.  You never know what team/QB is going to show up.  Eli throws such a nice long ball but makes so many questionable decisions.

Jets season is tomorrow, again.

yeah, and then again the next week, and then again the week after that.  it's a bit of a shame because I'd be totally confident naming the Jets as a top-6 team in the NFL but also would say it's at best a coin flip they make the playoffs.  still, can't wait to wake up and make coffee and scream at the tv for three hours before returning to the ever-dreary, real world.

Aren't there other threads for talking about the NFL?

That game was awful. I don't know why I watched it in its entirety.


Notre Dame-Army in 1946 is often referred to as such; that game was a 0-0 tie.

I'm so glad I didn't watch the game, I would have turned it off in the 1st quarter.  I found much more entertainment watching the Kansas State/Oklahoma State game on ABC.  Of course, I did go to bed at 9:00, a couple hours before the 5.6 magnitude earthquake rattled.

If Oregon had beaten LSU, we would probably be looking at a matchup of #1 Oregon and #3 Stanford today.

It appears that Texas Tech had a one game season - in Norman.  They didn't show up against Iowa State or Texas and now they are getting blown out by Oklahoma State in a laugher.

Iowa State sure messed things up last night.

I'm not watching another LSU-Alabama game.

How about LSU-Oregon?

That's a little better. But beating LSU in New Orleans would be hard for anyone to do.

I think Lee Corso just said the f-word on Gameday.

As usual, choosing two teams turns into an act of bulls***.  We need a playoff.

how about LSU-UH?  battle of the only unbeatens

Oregon down 14-0. But it's still early.

I would!  I'm still sore over the lack of an Ohio St- Michigan rematch in 2006.  I was at a Sweet Sixteen when the next of the USC defeat came down and I was convinced we'd see it.  but, alas, not, and, also alas, Chris Leak and etc.

There quite a few teams that would be unbeaten with the Cougar's soft schedule.  I realize that it's not entirely the Cougars' fault that they won't play a ranked team this year, but it is what it is. (Southern Miss's loss to UAB Thursday will likely drop them from the top 25, so they won't be ranked when you face face then for the C-USA championship.) You've played all of three games against teams with winning records so far, and if SMU loses to Rice next weekend, make that two games. You barely beat UCLA and Louisiana Tech in those two games.  Yes, you'll face a couple of decent teams the next two weeks and you're favored to win, but while it would be an upset if Houston loses one of them, it wouldn't be a shocker.  Houston could finish with a 14-0 record after the bowls are over, but even if they end up as the only unbeaten FBS team, no one would ever think they are the best FBS team this season.

Personally, I think they'll finish 13-1 after losing in the Sugar Bowl to Alabama or Stanford or to the winner of next week's Oklahoma/Oklahoma St. game in the Fiesta Bowl.  The only chance the Cougars have to finish 14-0 is if they be lucky enough to go to the Orange Bowl to face the ACC champion.  Even if the Sugar Bowl be forced to pick two teams from the pool of availables, there's no way it will be stuck with a Houston v. Big East matchup that almost no one would watch.
 
If college football were like European soccer, the Cougars would get promoted to a good conference.  But unless the Cougars can get into the SEC or Big Twelve, they don't have a chance of getting a national championship as long as C-USA is nothing more than a small joke with a couple of good teams.  (The C-USA/MW amalgam will be a big joke that lasts until enough of the good teams get taken by other conferences to permit a full merger of the remaining teams into a single mid-major conference.)

don't know...4 top 10 teams lost...UH should move into top 5 tuesday

We'll have LSU, Alabama, and Arkansas at 1-2-3 with LSU @ Arkansas next week.  I'm thinking that in some strange way all three losses today may help keep Oklahoma State in the top 5 of the BCS.  At the very least, with OU's loss, they may be in for their first BCS bowl in school history.

My beloved state didn't do so well this weekend in college football.  Now, I have to rely on Tony Romo and Co. to lift my football spirits tomorrow.  Sad, very sad.

Oklahoma State shouldn't fall below #3, although I don't have any more idea as to where they'll end up than anyone else does.

1 LSU
2 Alabama
3 Arkansas
4 Oklahoma State
5 Oregon
6 Stanford
7 Virginia Tech
8 South Carolina
9 Oklahoma
10 USC
11 Michigan State
12 Michigan
13 Boise State
14 Georgia
15 Kansas State
16 Clemson
17 Wisconsin
18 Baylor
19 TCU
20 Houston
21 Penn State
22 Georgia Tech
23 Auburn
24 Virginia
25 Nebraska

Indeed....I was at the in-law's house and 3 of us were almost positive he said it and when he apologized during the next game we were sure of it.  Pretty funny.  He was using a bullhorn to get the crowd to chant something and they couldn't understand him or didn't agree, I was only half paying attention and he put it down said, "fu@k it" and put on the head of the local team mascot to get the crowd back on his side.  The other three dudes on stage were dumbfounded.

It was pretty much the only joy that day in the house full of the near annoyingly (they don't wear corn heads) hard core Husker fan.  The Huskers looked like sh**t, but the refs looked worse.  Some ridiculous calls that game.

Nah, UH didn't even move into the top 5 in the polls and UH's weak schedule means the computers will dislike them worse than the polls

What will be interesting is if Arkansas beats LSU next week.  If Georgia then wins the SEC Championship against whoever wins the tiebreaker between Alabama, Arkansas, and LSU, then the SEC could end up with three BCS bowl bids.  (That scenario can only happen if the top two teams are from the same BCS conference, but don't win that conference's championship.  If Arkansas just barely beats LSU (especially in OT) then I expect all three to be ranked 1-2-3, with only the order being in question.  Then if whoever goes on face Georgia loses (whoever won the head-to-head between the top two ranked teams), the other two will be ranked 1-2 in the final poll.  Then the battle for position between Boise St. and Houston will be important.  If the SEC gets three BCS births, then only the highest ranked non-AQ school will get in.

The Turner Gill era is over.

This needed to happen for a long time.  I'm not necessarily a Jayhawks fan, but I believe Coach Gill was bringing down the quality of the overall Big 12 conference.

Haha, yes. Well, this was our first real opportunity to ditch him, since it'd make us look bad to fire someone after their first season. I'd like to get Venables, personally. We'll see. We have great facilities and tradition, so I think we can get things turned around.

what happens if Georgia beats LSU?

2003

the AP votes for Okla State?

Still LSU-Alabama for the title

5 good games this Quarterfinals Weekend:

UW-Whitewater vs. Salisbury
Mount Union vs. Wabash
St. Thomas vs. St John Fischer
Mary Hardin-Baylor vs. Wesley

and of course Wisconsin vs. Michigan State

It will be time for the Apocalypse :)

Reports on the Penn State head coaching situation are horrifying.

By horrifying you mean, they're gonna poach your football coach.

How's your basketball coach?  Another major program might be in the market sooner or later for one?

All that Mullen to Penn State talk is blowing over, thankfully.

And Rick Stansbury (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Stansbury) isn't on anyone's short list, believe me.

who's watching?

I'm watching the scores now while at work, but I will be watching Bedlam tonight.  I don't know if I will stay up for the entire game or not since I have to be back at work at 6:00 am tomorrow.

Neither Houston nor Southern Miss belongs in the top 25.

Did Oklahoma even make the trip to Stillwater?

Oklahoma doing everything they can to make sure we don't get an Alabama/LSU rematch.

I see Virginia Tech has decided to throw out the argument I was prepared to make that they should face LSU in the BCS championship game.  If the score was reversed, it would have been a good argument too.

How? Virginia Tech isn't one of the five best teams in the country.

Given how they did tonight, you are right, but if they had won, they would have avenged their sole loss of the season.  They improved a good deal during the season, so if they'd beaten Clemson 38-10 tonight instead of losing 38-10, LSU-VT would have been a more sensible matchup than the LSU-Alabama rematch we're likely going to get unless the human polls push down Alabama and push up Oklahoma St.

Oklahoma State is clearly the second best team in the nation and deserve to play LSU.  However, the BCS is clearly biased toward the SEC, that won't happen.

Um...false?

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see it, but Alabama is "clearly" the second best team in the country.  Oklahoma State doesn't stand much of a chance against LSU.

But since I don't want to see Alabama have another chance (because then "Every Game Counts" is clearly a lie), so I'm fine with Oklahoma State getting a chance to prove me wrong.

I can see your point.  On some level, I agree with you that OSU has no chance against LSU, but the way they have dismantled almost every team they played this year, and only losing to Iowa State in double overtime on the road under tough circumstances shows me that they could play with LSU.  I think they would do better against LSU than my Sooners.  Plus, Alabama has barely squeaked by in several games and doesn't have as many top 25 wins as OSU does.

I will say this, if Alabama does make it into the National Championship, I hope the game receives the worst TV ratings of any national championships in previous years.  If Alabama does make it, then it will be perfectly true that the Fiesta Bowl is JUST AS GOOD of a bowl as the National Championship.  The national champion for 2011-2012 will always have an asterisk beside it, since it was not a true representation of #1 vs. #2.  The Big XII is not the SEC's little brother.  The Big 12 is just as good of a conference as the SEC, just a lot more exciting to watch.

Yes.  Yes it is.  And unless it's Texas representing the Big XII...no one gives a rat's ass about the conference.

There's a reason why schools want to join the SEC and to a lesser extent the Big 10.  The other conferences...meh.

But Alabama will bring the ratings.  OkieSt won't...no matter how much T. Boone bitches and moans.

There's no money in the Big 12 because there aren't a lot of people in that part of the country. That doesn't change the fact that it was the best conference in football this year.

I can't think of anything less interesting than a game between LSU and Alabama. I know I won't be watching. I will be watching Stanford play in their non-Rose Bowl.

The Big XII isn't destined to last, its really (like the Big East) a marriage of convenience between Texas and the rest of its dwarfs and the Big 8...that Texas needed after SMU's death penalty blew the SWC apart.  Once Texas decides its over, it will be over.  No other school's views withstanding.

The reason Texas sticks with the Big 12 is that so far no other conference it would like being a part of has been willing to let it have the special privileges it wants.  At the moment unless Texas decides it can make it as an independent, I see no reason it will abandon the Big 12.  Indeed, I think that if the Big East continues to implode, as I think likely, the Big 12 will likely scoop up Louisville and Cincinnati any maybe a couple of C-USA teams.

#Weneedaplayoff

I'm elated. Kansas hired Charlie Weis.

Press conference is about to start. If anyone wants to watch it, follow this link:

http://www.kuathletics.com/allaccess/?hq_e=el&hq_m=238033&hq_l=13&hq_v=632de96817

I don't think the Weis hire is as bad as some people are making it out to be...

Completely agree. Who'd they expect us to get, Lombardi? ;)

- Weis brings enthusiasm to the KU base - others can hate all they want, but a good majority of KU fans are ecstatic about this hire, myself included.

- Weis looks to also be bringing him a 5-star quarterback in Crist, who is visiting Kansas this weekend. He has one year of eligibility left. I'd say there's about a 90% chance he comes to Kansas. This immediately takes us from winning 3-4 games next year to having a great shot at becoming bowl eligible - we'll have one of the top quarterbacks in the league.

- Weis can recruit - offensive players want to play for his spread offense. Just a flash of those Super Bowl rings would be enough to sign a lot of players. We'll need to pick up a great defensive coordinator, though.

- Weis isn't really looking for a promotion - he's already said Kansas will be his last stop. Even if he's only here for 7 years or so, he'll be leaving Kansas in much better shape than it is today, which means we'll be able to attract a better coach.

- He hopefully will put names on the back of the jerseys. (A key issue to the Jayhawk faithful)


People criticize that Florida's offense wasn't great this year - Weis had to handle a bunch of players that didn't know his spread offense, rather, they were fit more towards Meyer's offense, which is completely different.

People criticize that his stint at Notre Dame wasn't good - then, he had to hire assistants that he didn't know. Now, after spending years in both the NFL and college, he has plenty of connections. Notre Dame also has ridiculously high expectations, and on top of that, their academic standards make it difficult to recruit.

So yeah, for the first time since 2008, I'm actually looking forward to the start of the next football season. ;)

Rock Chalk!

Weis runs a pro-style offense for what it's worth, although those words are often not very well-defined.  I hadn't heard that about Crist, so that would help for sure.

I don't know who Kansas has scheduled in non-conference, but assuming yall scheduled easy, and Mizzou leaves the Big 12 but WVU can't join yet, Kansas would only have to go 2-6 in conference to reach a bowl.  With Crist and Weis, you would certainly have a shot against Iowa State, Texas Tech, or even Baylor (who will probably fall back without RG3)

Next year, Kansas will host South Dakota State and Rice and travel to Northern Illinois. Of course they'll have to try and find another team to play if the Big 12 has to wait for West Virginia. That schedule ought to give the Jayhawks a shot at a bowl.

ROBERT GRIFFIN, III your 2011 HEISMAN MEMORIAL TROPHY WINNER!!!

He deserved it.  I'm glad they didn't just give it to a flashy Alabama running back like they did 2 years ago (Gerhardt got robbed).

Gerhart was very much robbed.